


Plague

by fallingfeather



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: "Bramblestar's Storm" doesn't exist, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Horror, Major character death - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Mystery, Suspense, fanfiction rewrite, set after "The Last Hope"
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-11-28 10:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11415651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingfeather/pseuds/fallingfeather
Summary: Six months have passed since the battle with the Dark Forest, and life is finally beginning to go back to normal for the Clans by the lake. But a mysterious sickness begins infecting the Clans, turning cat against cat, and not even StarClan themselves can stop it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> A few years ago, I attempted to write this AU; I eventually stopped, deleted it, and pretended that it never happened. Recently, I was talking with Bramblewing and we were talking about the main plot, and I decided to pick it up, dust it off, and rewrite it. Any comments/Kudos would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thank you to Bramblewing for proofreading this chapter!

“Okay, that’s the last scent marker,” Berrynose announced, stepping away from the edge of trees that acted as the border between WindClan and ThunderClan. The cream-colored tom padded back to the rest of the patrol, arching his back as he stretched. “Should we hunt before we head home? I’m starving, and the Clan could always use the extra food.”

Warm afternoon sunshine fell through the canopy of leaves overhead, dappling the forest floor in light and shadow; a pleasant breeze whispered through the branches, making the pattern dance and dip. It was a lovely day in early summer, and Dovewing, along with the rest of the border patrol consisting of Cloudtail, Berrynose, and Rosepetal, simply sat and observed the beauty of the day. The pale gray she-cat gazed out over the open moor, her thoughts slipping from the present to the past. Six months after the Great Battle, peace was finally returning to the lake.

Dovewing’s gazed drifted over Cloudtail. The fluffy white tom had a jagged scar running across his flank from where he had fought a warrior named Darkstripe in the Great Battle. Everyone she knew had scars in some way; Dovewing herself had one under her eye where a warrior’s claws had sliced her cheek. However, not all of the scars were physical; night after night nightmares plagued by sleep. The eyes of those Dark Forest warriors, filled with such hatred and malice, longing to tear apart and destroy her, haunted Dovewing’s dreams, and she would often wake trembling and crying out in fear next to Bumblestripe. She wasn’t the only one experiencing these dreams- Ivypool admitted to having them as well, whispering that she often dreamt of Hollyleaf dying again, or Hawkfrost catching her before she could be rescued.

Dovewing shook her head to clear away the invasive memories. It had been six months since the battle, and life was moving on. There had been no signs of the shadowy figures who had stalked the Clans like prey. The Clans were healing, and in doing so, were going back to quarreling over territory, accusing each other of stealing prey, and Dovewing would sigh in relief knowing all that was behind them.

“That’s a good idea, Berrynose,” her grandfather replied, bringing Dovewing back to reality. “Our patrol is over, and the Clan always needs to be fed. I’m sure Cinderheart would appreciate a mouse or rabbit.” The gray tabby had recently announced that she and Lionblaze were expecting their first litter together, much to the happiness of ThunderClan. Kits were a sign of hope, of life persevering in the face of darkness.

_Life will move on._

Rosepetal, a pretty dark cream molly, jumped to her feet. “Berrynose, let’s see if we can track down something for Cinderheart,” she called, trotting towards the forest. “I’m sure Purdy would appreciate a juicy mouse as well.”

As her half-brother began to follow her, the wind shifted and suddenly the smell of fox overwhelmed Dovewing. The entire patrol froze, and Cloudtail parted his jaws to taste the air. “It’s close,” he announced, claws digging into the soil. “Could be on WindClan territory, but its nearby.”

“We should drive it away before it comes any closer,” Berrynose snarled, his tail lashing. Cloudtail only shook his head.

“If it's WindClan’s problem, let them solve it,” he replied, turning to leave. “We can’t cross the borders to go after it anyways. Let Onestar deal with it.”

The snapping of a breaking branch rang through the forest, followed by a low, raspy growl. Dovewing’s heart hammered, and she unsheathed her claws; the fox was closer than they thought. The rest of the patrol shared her thoughts, the fur raising along their spines as the sound of footsteps got closer. Something sounded off about it, though, something Dovewing couldn’t quite put her paw on. The fox stumbled out into the open, and she gasped quietly at what she saw.

The creature was thin and ragged, its pelt hanging off its skeletal frame. It stumbled forward, head twitching from side to side as it took in the patrol. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. A stench filled the clearing, a powerful odor that made Dovewing’s stomach drop. It smelled rancid, like rotting meat that had been left by the Thunderpath.

 _It smells like death,_ her mind whispered.

“Rosepetal, go back to camp,” Cloudtail ordered, his eyes never leaving the fox. “Tell Bramblestar to send backup.” Even emaciated, the fox was much larger than even Cloudtail, and was fast and agile. Rosepetal nodded and turned to race back to camp. With a menacing snarl, the fox lunged after her. Cloudtail, Berrynose, and Dovewing moved forward to meet it halfway.

Dovewing launched herself at the fox, slashing at its flank and managing to dodge it when it turned and snapped at her. Spittle flew from its open jaws, and it snarled again, lunging at her. Berrynose barreled into its other flank, letting out a battle cry as he raked his claws through its skin. Blood splashed across the earth, and the fox stumbled away from Dovewing with a yelp. Growling, the fox charged towards the white tom and sank its fangs into his back, picking him up and shaking him as if he were no more than a scrap of moss. Berrynose shrieked in pain, and Cloudtail nd Dovewing launched themselves at the fox again, Cloudtail tearing into its foreleg while Dovewing leapt onto its back and bit down hard onto its ear.

The fox snarled in rage and dropped Berrynose to instead focus on Cloudtail at its feet, the white warrior getting shakily to his feet and stumbling away. The fox lunged and clamped down on Cloudtail’s foreleg, causing the warrior to curse and slap at the predator’s muzzle, blood welling in his wake. It didn’t so much as flinch, instead seeming to bite down harder, making Cloudtail yowl again. Dovewing bit hard into its ear, tasting blood, and violently shook her head from side to side. The fox let go of the white warrior, bucking and shaking to throw Dovewing off. She dug her claws deeper into its back, blood pooling slick and hot beneath her pads, feeling its shoulder blades through its thin pelt, and hung on.

A battle cry cut through the air, and suddenly three cats burst through the trees. Rosepetal, leading Ivypool, Molewhisker, and Thornclaw, raced towards the three cats. Rosepetal and Molewhisker snapped and slashed at its belly, jumping out of the way in time to miss those snapping jaws. Dovewing kicked along its spine, clawing at its thin body, and the fox violently shook again, this time dislodging the gray warrior and sending her flying. She landed hard, the breath knocked out of her lungs, and the fox turned to face her. Its eyes seemed to glow with hate, its stench rolling off its body and nearly suffocating her. Dovewing was helpless, struggling to regain breath as she got to her paws.

“Stay away from her!” Ivypool snarled, tackling the fox and biting hard at its hind leg. It turned its attention to her sister and the other cats. Thornclaw slashed at its flank, snarling as he jumped away from it. _Why doesn’t it leave,_ Dovewing wondered desperately. It was severely injured; blood stained the earth from multiple gashes. Instead this seemed to fuel its rage; it snarled and lunged at Ivypool, and Dovewing’s heart leapt into her throat. Her sister’s icy gaze never wavered, and instead she lunged towards it, meeting the fox halfway. Her claws dug into its throat and ripped back out, sending scarlet spraying across the grass. She moved to the side to avoid its fangs again, then stopped and watched it.

The creature stumbled and gagged, blood mixing with its saliva, the pinkish foam dripping from its teeth. It tried to turn and attack them again, but instead fell to the ground, it's wheezing, gurgling breaths filling the clearing. Its jaws moved, as if it still wanted nothing more to attack the cats, eyes filled with a crazed light. Slowly it’s jaws stopped moving, yellow eyes glazing over as it’s labored breathing stopped. Dovewing’s breath returned to her, and she sighed deeply in relief. The patrol looked at Ivypool, whose attention was now focused on Cloudtail and Berrynose. “We need to get them back to camp as quickly as possible,” she barked out. “Molewhisker, run ahead and alert Jayfeather and Leafpool that we have injured cats coming.” As the brown-and-cream tom ran ahead, she turned to the rest of the patrol. “Dovewing, you and Rosepetal take Berrynose; Thornclaw and I will take Cloudtail. Can you walk?” she asked the injured cats.

“The mangy flea-pelt hardly broke the skin,” Cloudtail replied, though blood streamed down the gash in his leg. Dovewing noticed that he didn’t put much weight on it, leaning gratefully on Rosepetal when she offered him her flank. She got on the other side of him, pushing her shoulder against his pelt, and he dipped his head thankfully.

Cloudtail simply nodded, and the patrol slowly began making its way home, the silent forest slowly coming back to life with birdsong above them.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time they reached the ThunderClan camp, Cloudtail and Berrynose were both panting audibly. Berrynose’s front leg was twisted at an odd angle and dragging limply. Dovewing suspected that his shoulder was dislocated; already it was beginning to swell, blood from the fox’s bite dripping down his pelt. A scarlet trail followed the patrol, both from the cream warrior and Cloudtail, who hardly put any weight on his injured leg. Dovewing was relieved that Leafpool and Jayfeather would see them soon, and followed Ivypool through the thorn barrier and into the heart of ThunderClan.

For a moment, Dovewing stood and took in the sight of her Clan going about their daily life. She spotted Lionblaze and Cinderheart sharing a meal together near the nursery. The gray molly’s stomach was beginning to show, and Dovewing wondered how long it would be until she joined the Daisy in the nursery. Across camp, Dewpaw and Snowpaw are wrestling, rolling in the sand and swiping at each other, their pale pelts bristling comically as lunged and dodged. Two other apprentices, Lilypaw and Seedpaw, were crouched on either side of Purdy, the elderly loner chatting away while they checked him for ticks. Dovewing knew the old tom was happy to have company, and the two always loved to listen to his stories.

At the base of the Highledge, the cliff where Bramblestar made his announcements, his mate and deputy, Squirrelflight was organizing the afternoon’s patrols. A group of cats consisting of Bumblestripe, Spiderleg, Whitewing, and Spiderleg’s apprentice Amberpaw were turning to head out when they noticed the bleeding cats. “Great StarClan, what happened to you?” Spiderleg demanded, drawing attention to the group. Several cats gasped, and Whitewing ran forward to meet them, letting Cloudtail lean against her shoulder. Spiderleg got on the other side of Berrynose and took some of his weight off of Rosepetal, who barely acknowledged the long-limbed warrior. The group took the two injured cats to the medicine cats’ den, while Bumblestripe stopped in front of the patrol, looking at Dovewing with large, worried eyes.

“What happened?” he asked. “Are you injured?” He moved closer, checking her for wounds, and Dovewing took a step back. Before she could answer, Bramblestar appeared on the Highledge, yowling for calm.

“What happened here?” he demanded, leaping down the fallen boulders and trotting towards the patrol, Squirrelflight hot on his heels. The dark brown warrior had only been leader for a few moons, ever since the previous leader, Firestar, had died during the Great Battle. His death was still felt throughout the four Clans, and Dovewing thought the Bramblestar must be daunted by the task of filling the huge role of succeeding him, but Dovewing thought he was doing great so far.

Ivypool nodded at Dovewing, who gathered her thoughts and replied in a loud, clear voice so the whole Clan could hear her. “Cloudtail, Berrynose, Rosepetal, and I had just finished marking the WindClan border,” she began, her mew ringing through the camp. “We were going to hunt before we came home, but we were attacked by a fox.” The Clan gasped, somewhere a cat mewled in fear, but Bramblestar raised his tail to silence them, and they obeyed. “We sent Rosepetal to tell you and gather more warriors, and she returned with Ivypool, Thornclaw, and Molewhisker,” she added, looking at her sister.

“Rosepetal found us as we were leaving to hunt,” Thornclaw added. “When we got there, it had attacked Cloudtail and Berrynose, and Dovewing was fighting it. We fought it, and Ivypool killed it.”

More gasps sounded as her sister ducked her head embarrassedly. “Is this true?” Bramblestar inquired, looking at the young molly. The whole patrol nodded, and Dovewing noticed Ivypool glowing in their praise, despite how embarrassed she might be. Chatter rippled across the gathered cats, a few cheered for the group, and Dovewing felt her pelt grow warm under their praise. After a few moments, Bramblestar raised his tail for silence once more.

“I want you to take me to where the fox was,” he meowed. “If it was acting as aggressive as you say it was, it’s possible it had kits nearby. We’ll need to search the area.” By now, Rosepetal, Spiderleg, and Whitewing were returning from the medicine cat den, and padded to stand with the rest of the group. “Dovewing, since you were part of the original patrol, I want you to lead us there. Ivypool, Thornclaw, Rosepetal, and Molewhisker, I want you to come with us in case there’s more.”

“What about us?” Bumblestripe demanded, standing so close to Dovewing that his pelt brushed hers. “We should go too; Dovewing and the others must be exhausted, and if there’s another one, they won’t be able to fight it off as effectively.” He looked toward Dovewing with dark blue eyes full of concern, but she felt irritation prickling her skin instead of comfort.

 _There are plenty of cats to take on a fox,_ she thought to herself, looking away towards Bramblestar. _And I can fight another one if I need to; I’m not tired._ “Bumblestripe, you and your patrol have already been assigned to patrol the ShadowClan border,” Squirrelflight spoke up, looking at the tabby tom. Relief flooded through Dovewing as the deputy continued. “So that is where you’ll go. In fact, why don’t you take Seedpaw with you? I’m sure your apprentice would appreciate any opportunity to learn more about the territory.” At the sound of her name, the golden brown molly looked up from where she sat in the elders’ den. Squirrelflight beckoned her forward with her tail, and the young apprentice, after saying goodbye to her sister and Purdy, ran forward to meet them. “Why don’t you join your mentor on his patrol? You can practice your hunting skills while you’re at it.” Seedpaw looked delighted and fell in beside Amberpaw, chattering excitedly.

For a moment, Bumblestripe looked like he was going to argue, but instead nodded and looked at Dovewing. “Let’s go hunting when we both get back, okay?” Before she could answer, he turned and led his patrol through the thorn tunnel, leaving the patrol sitting alone as the Clan slowly went back to their activities around camp. Bramblestar looked over the patrol, then back at his mate.

 

“Are you coming with us?” he inquired, his eyes meeting Squirrelflight’s bright green ones. The ginger molly shook her head.

“I have to finish assigning this afternoon’s patrols, and then Sandstorm and I were going to hunt,” she replied. “But good luck out there. Stay safe, all of you,” she added, before touching her nose to Bramblestar’s cheek and padding away. He watched her pad away, before looking back at the patrol.

“Lead the way.”

*******

Splashes of blood were drying in the sand by the time Dovewing’s patrol returned to where they had encountered the fox. Clumps of fur, both theirs and the fox’s, drifted on the light breeze, or rested in the lower limbs of bramble bushes. The breeze had done little to wash away the scent of blood, fox, and the individual scents of the cats, and the thick, reeking odor of disease still clung to everything in the proximity.

The fox was still lying dead in the grass, its throat torn open and blood pooling underneath it. Its eyes stared blankly at the cats as they slowly approached, the smell now so overpowering that the patrol stayed a few feet away from the body. Dovewing sighed softly in relief when it stayed in the grass instead of getting up and charging at them. It really is dead, not just seriously injured, the thought.

“Right, well, let’s go ahead and try to find out if there’s more around here,” Bramblestar announced, looking around the area. “If anyone finds any sign of its pups, yowl and the rest of us will come running.” The patrol split up, trotting away in opposite directions and after a while returned to stand together once more.

“There weren’t any signs of pups,” Thornclaw murmured, sitting with his tail wrapped around his paws. “It seems sick and desperate; perhaps that’s why it was so aggressive?”

“It’s the middle of summer,” Rosepetal pointed out. “It should be healthy and strong; why would it be sick?” Thornclaw shrugged, and Rosepetal stared at the dead animal, as if trying to will answers out of it.

“Perhaps it was the humans?” Bramblestar suggested, looking around the group. “We know that they leave their garbage when they visit during the warm months; remember when they poisoned RiverClan, back when the Clans first came to the lake? Perhaps it ate some of their tainted food, became sick, and in turn became aggressive?” The cats nodded, and the leader continued. “Regardless of what it was, I’m proud of all of you for facing it with such bravery and courage despite the circumstances. Ivypool, I’m especially impressed with how you killed it. ThunderClan honors your skills and fearlessness.”

As Dovewing watched her sister duck her head in embarrassment and pride, a tiny voice whispered in the back of her head. _It helps that Ivypool learned how to kill in the Dark Forest; otherwise, you’d be dead meat._ She pushed the thought and the lingering bitterness away, turning to face Bramblestar. “Now what?”

“We’ll take the fox’s body to a secluded part of the territory and leave it there,” Bramblestar replied. “That way it won’t interfere with patrols or hunting.” The patrol nodded in agreement. “Ivypool, Rosepetal, and Thornclaw, I want the three of you to come with me; Dovewing, why don’t you and Molewhisker see if you can find some prey before it gets dark?” The group nodded, and Bramblestar turned to pad towards the dead fox, the three warriors following closely behind him. Molewhisker looked over at Dovewing, who was already walking away.

“I’m going to hunt near the lake,” she called to him, before leaping into the undergrowth. Her paws barely touched the ground as she ran towards the sparkling water in the distance. As she came towards the edge of the trees, Dovewing slowed to a stop and instead stared out across the open water. The lake seemed to stretch out forever, but Dovewing knew that RiverClan lived out on the other side, as well as the cats from Horseplace. She strained her ears to hear them, but only heard the waves whispering against the shore, the birds singing overhead, and the occasional scurrying of a mouse. Ever since the Great Battle ended, Dovewing’s powers had left her and hadn’t returned no matter how hard she tried. She knew Lionblaze and Jayfeather were experiencing the same thing, which comforted her a bit, but Dovewing still felt achingly lonely without all the sounds her powers had previously allowed her to pick up.

_It feels like part of me is missing, and I’ll never get it back._

Dovewing sighed and shook her head to clear the thought away, turning instead to follow the sweet scent of mouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around! This chapter is mostly filler, but I'm planning to pick up the drama soon! Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

The full moon hung in the navy sky, bathing the ThunderClan cats in a silver glow. It was the night of the Gathering, and the patrol raced across the lakeshore towards the island where the four Clans would be meeting. Dovewing ran beside Ivypool, her mind wandering as she looked out over the lake, moonlight glinting coldly off the water. Graystripe and Sandstorm were in front of them, followed by Brackenfur, Brightheart, and Poppyfrost; behind Dovewing, Seedpaw and Lilypaw chatted excitedly, wondering what would happen tonight. _I wonder if I’ll see Tigerheart tonight,_ Dovewing thought, but then pushed the thought away. She wasn’t supposed to think about him anymore.

As they reached the tree bridge, Dovewing caught the fresh scents of WindClan and ShadowClan and could hear friendly voices on the other side of the trees rimming the island. As Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, and Jayfeather padded into the clearing, Dovewing followed Brightheart across the fallen tree, trying not to think about falling into the icy water below.

Inside the clearing, cats sat gathered in front of the giant oak tree where the leaders made their announcements. The ThunderClan cats scattered, and Dovewing spotted Brightheart touching noses with Tawnypelt from ShadowClan. “Hello Brightheart,” the tortoiseshell molly purred, “where’s Cloudtail tonight? Back at camp?”

“Yeah, he wasn’t feeling well,” Brightheart replied, “he had a bit of a fever, so Jayfeather wanted him to stay and get some rest.”

Dovewing was distracted from their conversation when she noticed something in the corner of her eye. Looking over her shoulder, her gaze met with a dark brown tabby tom’s, and her heart skipped a beat. Tigerheart was just as handsome as she remembered, his amber eyes lighting up when he saw her, and for a heartbeat, she wanted to run forward and greet him. _You can’t do that, remember? He’s a ShadowClan warrior, and he trained in the Dark Forest,_ the little voice in her head murmured. Dovewing pushed her feelings away, tearing her gaze from the dark tom, and watched as RiverClan entered the clearing. Dovewing recognized the blue-gray form of Mistystar, their leader, as she greeted Bramblestar before the two began to climb up the great oak after Onestar.

Rowanclaw, ShadowClan’s deputy, brought up the rear of the group, and Dovewing heard whispers that mirrored her confusion. Why was he up there? Did Blackstar stay at home? Bramblestar yowled for silence, and a hush fell over the cats as Rowanclaw stepped forward.

“I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’m up here tonight, instead of Blackstar,” he began, looking around the clearing. “It is with a heavy heart that I tell you he passed away this morning.” Gasps echoed softly among the group, and Dovewing remembered the last time she had seen the massive black-and-white tom, and how he had seemed smaller and thinner back then. “He died in the night, and after the Gathering, Littlecloud and I will go to the Moonpool to receive my nine lives from StarClan.” He dipped his head to Onestar, the leader of WindClan, and added, “If we may walk with you for a while, I would greatly appreciate it.”

The brown tabby nodded. “That will be fine, Rowanclaw,” he replied. “Blackstar was a mighty warrior who served his Clan well for many years; he will be sorely missed by all the Clans.” Bramblestar echoed this, but Dovewing noticed the Mistystar said nothing, only narrowed her eyes.

Rowanclaw nodded and continued. “I would also like to announce Tawnypelt as my deputy,” he mewed, and the tortoiseshell molly at the base of the oak practically glowing with pride. Cheers broke out, swallowing the rest of Rowanclaw’s words as the gathered warriors chanted Tawnypelt’s name. She was definitely the right choice, having been chosen by StarClan to bring the Clans to their new homes on the Great Journey, on top of being an extremely loyal warrior, even if she wasn’t ShadowClan by birth. Rowanclaw let the cheers go on for a moment longer before calling for order once more. “We would also like to announce that Dawnheart has given birth to her first litter, and both mother and kits are doing well. Their names are Sleekkit, Juniperkit, and Strikekit.” He stepped back and motioned to the other leaders, and Onestar stepped forward.

“There was a loose dog roaming the moor a few nights ago,” he croaked, “but a patrol drove it away. It may come sniffing around your territory, Bramblestar, so I would keep an eye out for it.” Bramblestar dipped his head as the WindClan leader sat down, and before he could say anything Mistystar stepped forward.

“Things are going well in RiverClan,” she announced, “the twolegs haven’t been on the lake as much, nor have they been near our territory; prey is bountiful, and we thank StarClan for a peaceful summer so far.” She nodded to Bramblestar as she settled down.

“There was a fox in our territory a few weeks ago, near the WindClan border,” he stated. “It attacked a patrol of ours, and Cloudtail and Berrynose were injured.” Uneasy murmurs rippled through the cats as he continued. “However, and the fox was killed by Ivypool before it could harm any more of our warriors, or WindClan’s for that matter.” Ivypool sat up straight as cats gasped in amazement and whispered among themselves, and Dovewing tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy she felt.

The Gathering ended soon after, and as Dovewing stood and stretched she could feel someone watching her. She glanced and noticed Tigerheart trying to make his way towards her. Panic squeezed her chest, and she quickly stood and trotted away. She could feel his gaze burning into her pelt as she approached the great oak where a small crowd had formed around Tawnypelt. The pale tortoiseshell molly was sitting next to Bramblestar and Squirrelflight, and Dovewing noticed Crowfeather from WindClan with them. Bramblestar butted his head against his sister’s, a deep purr rumbling from his throat as he congratulated her. “I’m so proud of you,” he murmured softly, Squirrelflight and Crowfeather nodding in agreement. “You’ve worked so hard for this; StarClan knows you earned it.”

Tawnypelt dipped her head in embarrassment. “It’s amazing to see how far we’ve all come, isn’t it?” she mused, looking around the group. The cats nodded, and Dovewing remembered that they had all led the Clans on the Great Journey together when they were younger; how they had led them here when the twolegs destroyed their home. StarClan must have known she was destined for greatness even then, Dovewing thought. Tawnypelt looked up and finally noticed her standing there, chirping in surprise and amusement.  
“I just wanted to congratulate you,” Dovewing murmured, dipping her head to the new deputy. “Rowanclaw made a great choice.”

“Thank you Dovewing,” Tawnypelt replied, waving her tail. She looked around the group as she stood. “I would love to stay and chat more, but it’s getting late and I want to say goodbye to Rowanclaw before he goes to the Moonpool.”

“It’s about time for us to be heading home too,” Bramblestar agreed. “I’ll see you around, okay?” He butted his head against her’s one more time before turning and padding away, Squirrelflight and Dovewing following close behind. He yowled and waved his tail, and one by one the other ThunderClan cats came to him. Brightheart was at the front, eager to get home to Cloudtail and tell him all about the Gathering. Dovewing looked up at the cloudless sky, the stars sparkling gently against the dark, and for a brief moment, peace settled over her.

_Everything would be okay._

Soon, she was back in her nest in Thunderclan’s hollow, her back pressed against Bumblestripe, not noticing the subtle scent of disease floating in the den as she sank gratefully into a deep, silent sleep.

****

“Brightheart, for the last time, I’m fine. I don’t need to go see Jayfeather or Leafpool because I’m not sick.”

Cloudtail’s harsh tone pierced Dovewing’s dreams, and the gray molly’s eyes slowly blinked open. The white tom stood in the empty warriors’ den, his tail lashing as he glared at his mate. Brightheart’s pelt was bristling a bit, her face confused as she stared at him. “You’re burning up,” she argued. “Your fever is worse than it was last night, you’ve barely been eating; you need to go see Jayfeather before this gets worse.”

Cloudtail’s eyes narrowed angrily at her, his tail lashing as he let out a low growl. Dovewing quickly got to her paws as he took a step towards his mate. Now she could smell the sick odor that clung to him, could almost feel the heat from his fever from where she stood. Cloudtail let out another low snarl. Dovewing blinked in shock; she had never seen him act this way towards his mate before.

“Cloudtail, you need to go see the medicine cats,” Brightheart repeated patiently. “You have a fever, you haven’t been eating, and you aren’t acting like yourself. I really wish you would go talk to them. Please? What harm could it do?”

For a moment, Dovewing was sure he would argue some more. Cloudtail’s eyes narrowed again, his tail lashed, but as suddenly as his anger had come it disappeared again. His tail drooped and he sighed deeply as he padded past Brightheart into the camp. The ginger-and-white molly quickly padded after him, and Dovewing was left alone in the empty den. The gray molly breathed in deeply, feeling a quiet feeling dread begin to gnaw at her belly. She tried to push the feeling away as she hurried out of the den, knowing that Squirrelflight would be angry if she slept the day away, but as she stepped into the sunlight and began making her way towards Highledge, a thought whispered in the back of her mind:

_Cloudtail smelled like the fox._


	4. Chapter 4

In the days that followed, Cloudtail’s condition drastically worsened. In the span of two days, his fever worsened, he was irritable and snapped at anyone who came near, and just this morning he told Leafpool and Jayfeather his throat was so sore it felt like he couldn’t swallow. He refused all food and drink, and now his thinness under his thick white pelt was beginning to show.

Dovewing stood watching the medicine cats’ den from her spot near the fresh-kill pile, where she was depositing her catches from the afternoon hunting patrol. She watched as Squirrelflight washed Leafpool’s ears at the base of the Highledge, the tabby molly fast asleep. She and Jayfeather had been running themselves ragged trying to find any way to break Cloudtail’s fever, or reduce his swelling; so far nothing was working.

As she chose something for herself, the gray molly noticed her sister curled close to a tortoiseshell pelt, so close that her gray tabby pelt mixed with it. She and Blossomfall were sharing tongues, talking quietly with one another. Dovewing was shocked when she heard Ivypool laugh, a soft, gentle sound. I haven’t heard her laugh since before the battle with the Dark Forest, she thought to herself.

“They’ve gotten close, haven’t they?” Dovewing jumped in surprise at the voice in her ear; she had been so focused on the activity in the camp she didn’t hear the pawsteps coming up behind her. She turned to see Cinderheart standing there, her gaze following Dovewing’s to where the two mollies crouched together. “I never thought the two of them were particularly close, to be honest. But they both went through so much together, its no wonder. Plus, Blossomfall helps Ivypool relax after her night terrors.” Cinderheart shrugged. “I’m happy for them.”

Dovewing, unable to think of a reply, simply nodded and looked back towards her sister. It was true the two mollies had become closer since the battle with the Dark Forest, having trained together there prior to the war. The two had gone through hell together and come out stronger on the other side. But did Cinderheart say that her sister had been having night terrors? _I didn’t even notice,_ Dovewing noticed with a jolt, guilt making her stomach churn. She made a note to ask Ivypool about it the next time they were alone.

She turned to face the gray molly. “I was just getting something to eat,” Dovewing finally said. “Would you like to join me? I have a fat pigeon right here, if you’d like it.”

 

Cinderheart purred happily. “That would be lovely, thank you,” she replied. “I’ll grab something for Lionblaze too, he’ll be back from his patrol soon.” Dovewing nodded and the two grabbed their meals, Dovewing’s a squirrel and Cinderheart’s pigeon as well as a blackbird for her mate when he returned. They padded to the entrance of the nursery den, crouching beside each other. As they got settled in, Daisy returned and settled down beside them with a sigh.

“I’ve just been visiting with Brightheart,” she mewed softly. “She said they think Cloudtail’s getting worse. His fever still hasn’t broken, he won’t let anyone get close enough to give him herbs, and Jayfeather said there’s stiffness in his back legs now. Brightheart is beside herself with worry, since they won’t let her around him.”

Dovewing felt a twinge of fear in her chest as Cinderheart murmured sympathetically. All of this came from a simple fox bite? _It could just be infected,_ she told herself, trying to push her anxiety away. _Just a severe infection that Leafpool and Jayfeather will take care of in no time. Cloudtail will be fine._ Still, she couldn’t help but feel like something was terribly wrong.

The three of them sat there talking as Dovewing and Cinderheart ate, Daisy politely refusing to share with either of them when they offered. “I ate with Brightheart when I visited her, before she went on her border patrol,” she mewed. Dovewing asked when Cinderheart thought she’d be due, noticing her belly was rounder still. She said a few weeks at most, and Dovewing’s fear was momentarily at replaced with the excitement of new kits running around the camp.

“Dovewing!” At the sound of her name the gray molly looked up, spotting Bumblestripe trotting toward the three of them. “Are you asking for advice for when we have kits of our own?” he asked with a purr. He laughed about it but Dovewing shifted uncomfortably, getting suddenly to her paws.  
“  
We’ve never talked about that,” she said, noticing how harsh her voice sounded but not caring. “And I’m not sure I want kits, at least not any time soon.” Bumblestripe blinked, looking hurt, and opened his mouth to apologize as she brushed past him. “Cinderheart, Daisy, I’ll talk to you two later; I’m due for a patrol.” That wasn’t true, but she was sure Squirrelflight would let her tag along to one and she didn’t want to be near Bumblestripe anymore. He called out to her but Dovewing only trotted faster towards the deputy, who was still washing Leafpool’s ears. The ginger tabby told her Poppyfrost’s patrol was just getting ready to leave if Dovewing wanted to join them, and Dovewing nodded, turning to run after the tortoiseshell molly. She could feel Bumblestripe’s hurt gaze follow her as she fell into step beside Lilypaw and Mousewhisker, finally sighing with quiet relief as they stepped into the forest.

****

 

When they returned to camp, all hell had broke loose.

Dovewing heard the screams as they were approaching the tunnel, picking up the scent faint of blood from outside the hollow. Is the camp being attacked? Panic shot through her as the patrol began to sprint towards the sound and smell of blood. Dovewing squeezed through the thorn tunnel behind Mousewhisker, the metallic smell getting stronger, and the patrol burst through the tunnel, claws unsheathed and pelts bristling.

Cloudtail stood in the fading sunlight, partially hidden by shadows as the sun set. The white tom was snarling menacingly, swaying unsteadily on his feet, and Dovewing was shocked to see how dirty his pelt is and how thin he looks under it. Dried saliva was caked on his jaws and throat, and Dovewing’s blood turned to ice when she noticed the fresh blood staining his face. He was glaring at Leafpool, who stood in the mouth of the medicine cat den, shock and anger clear on her face; behind her Dovewing could hear another wail of agony, followed by Jayfeather’s gruff mew.

Leafpool glanced at the crowd gathered, not letting her gaze leave the larger warrior. “Don’t just stand there, do something!” At the sound of her voice, Cloudtail screeched, taking another faltering step towards the small tabby. “He attacked Briarlight, tore her stomach open!” Gasps of horror and anger spread through the crowd, and the white warrior flinched, snarling louder, his tail lashing. No, he couldn’t have done that, she thought, shock rippling through her. Not Cloudtail.

Spiderleg stepped forward, his dark pelt bristling along his spine. “Is this true, Cloudtail?” he demanded, the white tom turning to fix his icy stare on the younger warrior. Dovewing was shocked to see such anger and hate in those blue eyes, and she took a step back as he snarled again. “You attacked Briarlight? A cat who can’t walk, let alone defend herself? Is this true?” He stalked closer, tail lashing, his steps tight with anger, and Cloudtail only replied with another low, threatening snarl. “Answer me you coward!”

As if in reply, Cloudtail launched himself at Spiderleg. The long-legged warrior was taken by surprise, and slammed into the dusty earth with a grunt, snarling in anger. The snarl quickly turned into a screech of pain as Cloudtail bit down hard on his chest, right below his throat. Fresh blood splashed against his face as he bit down harder, and Spiderleg kicked him hard in the stomach. The larger warrior, weakened by his sickness and days in the medicine cat den, flew backwards, landing awkwardly near Leafpool. The tabby molly took a step back as he got to his feet, hissing and growling threateningly. Spiderleg got to his feet, blood pouring from his wound, and Cloudtail’s gaze met his. He began stumbling towards the brown-black warrior again, but before he could reach him Brackenfur and Thornclaw stepped between the two opposing cats

“What’s going on here?” Bramblestar’s voice rang across the clearing as he and Squirrelflight padded through the thorn tunnel, Millie, Graystripe, and Sandstorm behind them. Brackenfur and Thornclaw turned to face them, and while they were distracted, Cloudtail lunged forward again, tackling Thornclaw to the ground. His bloody jaws snapped close within inches of his face, stopped only by Brackenfur grabbing onto his scruff and dragging him backwards. He pinned Cloudtail down as Thornclaw got to his feet and took a step back. Cloudtail didn’t fight back, only snarled endlessly, his eyes never leaving Thornclaw.

Leafpool ran forward to meet Bramblestar, giving Cloudtail a wide berth, and told Bramblestar what had happened: the white warrior had suddenly gotten to his feet, Briarlight had called out to him, and Cloudtail had turned his attention to her and tore into her stomach before Leafpool and Jayfeather had turned to react. Millie let out a screech of rage and lunged forward, but Graystripe blocked her path, although Dovewing could tell he was just as angry and confused.  
Bramblestar looked from her to the injured Spiderleg, to Cloudtail held beneath Brackenfur’s paws. “He’s a danger to his Clanmates,” he murmured. Louder he added, “Cloudtail needs to be taken out of the camp, away from all of us. He’s sick and isn’t thinking right; as soon as he’s well, we’ll hold a trial for him, let him have a chance to explain his actions. For now, he’ll be held in the abandoned house at the edge of our territory. I’ll need help getting him there.”

Leafpool spoke up. “He’s been getting more and more aggressive,” she mewed, sounding calm despite the fear in her eyes. “He attacked two of our warrior and attempted to attack Thornclaw as well. We should bind his jaws shut so that he can’t bite anyone who goes with you.” Murmurs of agreement sounded in the crowd, and she turned to fetch some cobwebs as Thornclaw, Graystripe, and Ivypool gathered next to Bramblestar. Brightheart padded towards Millie, but before she could reach her the silver tabby whirled to face her, snarling angrily. “He’s your mate!” she snapped, hissing with rage. “How could you let him do this to my Briarlight? Why didn’t you stop him?”

Brightheart didn’t flinch from her accusing gaze, her pelt beginning to spike along her back. “He wasn’t allowed to have anyone with him, remember?” she shot back, struggling to stay calm. “If I had been there I would have stopped him.” She started to say more, but Millie ignored her and turned to snarl at Cloudtail as the patrol led him away, his jaws successfully bound shut by Leafpool.

“If my daughter gets sick from you, you’ll be sorry,” Millie threatened, her eyes chips of ice. Cloudtail growled deep in his throat, and soon he was gone, the others following closely beside him. The crowd began to break up, everyone going their separate ways, but Dovewing stood frozen to the spot.

“Spiderleg, I need to check your wounds,” she heard Leafpool murmur, followed by a grunt of pain as the tom followed her. The smell of blood was overwhelming, the scent of it mixing with the heavy scent of disease and fear, so thick Dovewing wanted to choke. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach, and for the second time in less than a week, her thoughts were drawn back to the fox.


End file.
